Review of SafeWork NSW Regulatory Priorities 2023

Two SafeWork inspectors wearing PPE and holding clipboards, on a construction site.

In 2023, SafeWork NSW introduced seven Regulatory Priorities to focus its compliance and enforcement efforts.

The Regulatory Priorities aimed to target high risk work activities and emerging harms in NSW.

The Regulatory Priorities were:

An illustrated icon of a person on a motorbike.

Gig economy

Increase safety and work health and safety compliance in the gig economy sector, particularly food delivery riders and health care.

An illustrated icon of an excavator.

Safety around moving plant

Reduce workplace safety incidents related to moving plant, particularly forklifts.

An illustrated symbol of a barn, with a sun shining in the background.

Seasonal workplaces

Increase work health and safety compliance to support itinerant workers, particularly in the agricultural sector and those working with amusement devices.

An illustrated icon of a brain, surrounded by two hands.

Psychological health and safety

Reduce the incidence of psychological injury at workplaces, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.

An icon of a building, connected by three dotted lines to symbols of people.

Respect at Work

Reduce the incidence of bullying, sexual harassment, and customer aggression in the workplace, particularly in male dominated sectors and healthcare.

A hazard symbol

Exposure to harmful substances

Reduce the incidence of worker exposure to dangerous substances in the workplace, particularly silica and dangerous chemicals.

An illustrated icon of a worker wearing a hard hat, next to a safety symbol.

Falls

Reduce the incidence of falls from heights with a particular focus on construction.

 

Examples of activities undertaken:

  • food delivery rider safety campaign
  • forklift safety campaign to raise awareness of harms around moving plant and an inspector safety blitz to improve compliance
  • seasonal work agriculture campaign using social media
  • psychological health and safety – conducted workplace wellbeing assessments and delivery of a coaching and training program
  • development and launch of the Respect at Work Strategy
  • implementing silica reforms and delivered Silica Awareness Training
  • Working Safely from Heights campaign and inspector compliance blitz.

How did we choose these priorities?

The Regulatory Priorities were informed by stakeholder consultation and data relating to workplace harms, workplace incidents and compliance activities.

Review of the 2023 Regulatory Priorities

A review was undertaken to assess the performance of SafeWork’s activities in the Regulatory Priority areas, against five intended intermediate outcomes:

  1. Increased worker and employer understanding of their WHS rights and responsibilities.
  2. Reduction in serious incidents and deaths in NSW workplaces.
  3. Reduced employer non-compliance in targeted areas.
  4. SafeWork NSW services are customer centric, simple and timely.
  5. Increased in satisfaction and trust in SafeWork NSW as a regulator.

The review highlighted valuable learnings to improve future regulatory service delivery.

It identified that some priority areas drove definitive, positive results. Other priority areas were over-reliant on broad measures, which limited the ability to make a detailed assessment.

Positive results against the intermediate outcomes included:

  • a 10% increase in workers and employers understanding of their WHS rights and responsibilities compared with the baseline of 74%
  • campaigns that were aligned to the Regulatory Priorities were effective in increasing website and social media interactions. In Falls from Heights, there was a 600% increase in website traffic with over 38,000 views from February to October 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. As part of Gig Economy priority there were 418,000 engagements with social media posts
  • a decline in the number of workplace fatalities over the last 10 years from a baseline of 75 to 50 in 2022
  • SafeWork services were found to be customer-centric, easy and timely. There was an increase in trust in SafeWork as a regulator. Satisfaction with SafeWork services increased from baseline of 76% to 80% in 2023, ease increased from 75% to 77% and trust increased from 77% to 80%.

Areas identified for improvement included:

  • employer compliance was difficult to assess. Over 10,000 notices were issued which had an immediate effect, however, further analysis is required to determine their impact on sustained behavioural change
  • the review showed a decrease in workplace incidents in two regulatory priority areas. Incidents relating to Falls reduced by 40% and safety moving around plant 23% respectively. Data limitations made it difficult to see trends in other areas.

The review’s recommendations will assist in shaping SafeWork’s future strategic planning and areas of regulatory focus and priority.

Download the Regulatory Priorities 2023 (PDF, 108.65 KB)

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